Moving to New Zealand from Cyprus

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Cyprus to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Cyprus to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 5.2% more expensive than Cyprus overall. A €67,000 salary in Cyprus would need to be roughly NZ$141,000 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Wellington averages 62°F vs 80°F in Nicosia, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Cyprus to New Zealand.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → NZ$141,000

To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 10.9% less

Groceries

pay 7.2% more

Transportation

pay 3.6% more

Housing

pay 4.1% more

Childcare

pay 91.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 2.0 NZD (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in New Zealand cost about 13% less than cities in Cyprus.

Cyprus

Limassol 61%

New Zealand

Tauranga 52%
Auckland 52%
Nelson 48%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Cyprus to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
3

people moved from Cyprus to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to New Zealand?

Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Cyprus and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

CY
0.8
NZ
1.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CY
3.9
NZ
6.6

Cyprus performs better than New Zealand across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

CY
$4,538
NZ
$5,576
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

CY
35.6
NZ
36.1

Cyprus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

CY
16.0
NZ
12.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CY
5.4t
NZ
6.0t

Cyprus generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CY
37.6
NZ
38.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CY
30.5%
NZ
8.1%

New Zealand performs significantly better than Cyprus across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CY
4.9%
NZ
5.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

CY
$41,783
NZ
$49,591

New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Cyprus leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

CY
81.8 yrs
NZ
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CY
4.1
NZ
4.0

New Zealand performs significantly better than Cyprus across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Department of the Republic of Cyprus (2016), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Nicosia Rain: 13.5 in/yr (342 mm)
80° / 57°F

Avg. annual high / low

Wellington Rain: 37.7 in/yr (957 mm)
62° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Nicosia Wellington
Jan–Mar 63°/44°F (17°/7°C) 69°/58°F (21°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/60°F (29°/15°C) 59°/49°F (15°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 97°/71°F (36°/22°C) 56°/46°F (13°/8°C)
Oct–Dec 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) 64°/53°F (18°/12°C)
View all months
Month Nicosia Wellington
Jan 60°/42°F (15.7°/5.8°C) 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C)
Feb 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.0°C) 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C)
Mar 68°/46°F (20.1°/7.8°C) 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C)
Apr 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C)
May 85°/59°F (29.6°/15.2°C) 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C)
Jun 94°/68°F (34.3°/20.0°C) 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C)
Jul 100°/73°F (37.5°/22.7°C) 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C)
Aug 100°/73°F (37.5°/22.7°C) 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C)
Sep 92°/67°F (33.6°/19.5°C) 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C)
Oct 84°/61°F (28.8°/15.9°C) 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C)
Nov 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.6°C) 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C)
Dec 64°/45°F (17.8°/7.3°C) 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C)

Data: Department of Meteorology Department of Meteorology, New Zealand National Meteorological Service New Zealand National Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cyprus and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.

Cyprus passport

Cyprus passport holder visiting New Zealand

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Cyprus passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter New Zealand.
New Zealand passport

New Zealand passport holder visiting Cyprus

Visa Free
New Zealand passport holders can enter Cyprus without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New Zealand than Cyprus?

Day-to-day costs in New Zealand run about 5% higher than Cyprus on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around NZ$35,250 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New Zealand?

With 38.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Cyprus and New Zealand.

Is New Zealand safe for expats?

Cyprus performs better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Cyprus.

How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Cyprus?

Cyprus generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 35.6 in Cyprus. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Cyprus: 81).

What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Cyprus?

The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 80°F in Nicosia. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Nicosia gets 13.5 in.

What language do they speak in New Zealand?

The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Cyprus, the official languages are Greek and Turkish.

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At a Glance

CY NZ
Population 1,370,754 5,324,700
Currency Euro (€) New Zealand Dollar (NZ$)
Languages Greek, Turkish English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +357 +64
Time zones 1 5
Emergency number 112 111